not done yet," he muttered, as he pressed his pony's sides and
cantered on towards where in one spot the smooth level gave place to a
rugged patch where the ground was broken up and strewed with stones
right to the edge of the precipice for about a hundred yards, before it
became smooth and level again.

As near as he could guess he was leaving behind the spot where the
Indians had been first seen; but that was only a passing thought. He
was, as he had said, not done yet, and in those stones he saw shelter
for himself and his mount while he made a stand for a time in the hope
that aid of some kind might come, or some turn of the tide occur in his
favour.

Full of this idea, he cantered on, and reached the rugged patch of
broken ground, his sinking spirits rising as he drew near and found that
it would give more shelter than he had hoped for, since no horseman
could charge through it; in fact, as he reached the spot he was obliged
to let the pony pick its way in and out among pieces of rock eight or
ten feet high which looked as if they had been turned up, while among
them there were shallow, shady rifts, and in one case quite a gash going
deeply down and cutting right through the edge of the depression, being
evidently the work of water that at some period or other in the world's
history had run over the edge of the precipice in a cascade.

But Chris was in no humour then for calculating the causes of this
appearance, this roughening of the level plain. He did wonder that he
had not noticed it from below, but there was no occasion for wonder,
since the stones stood too far back from the edge to be visible to
people four or five hundred feet below. He only saw in the chaotic
patch a place of sanctuary, and rode right in, to draw rein with his
back to one of the largest blocks of stone, while others were between
him and the advancing enemy.

It was the merest chance, but a long search could not have discovered a
better spot for the boy's temporary protection, and calling up the
little knowledge he had picked up of the Indians' nature and habits, he
set his teeth as he let the rein fall upon his mount's neck, passed the
sling of his rifle over his head, and drew round and opened his
cartridge-pouch.

"Stand still, old chap," he said, and for the moment he thought of
dismounting, resting the barrel of his piece across the saddle, and
firing from there; but the thought came that at any moment he might have
to seize